The opportunity to create and mold and influence was so glaring that it was easy for Coyotes coach Dave Tippett to ignore the thorns of adversity lingering in the subtext of General Manager Don Maloney’s pitch four years ago.

And to Maloney’s credit, he picked the right coach to target for such unusual working conditions. His trip to Minnesota, Tippett’s off-season oasis, in late August 2009 was a fruitful one because Maloney advertised a job that catered to the essence of who Tippett is — and that was enough to also embrace a situation with no owner, a limited cash flow and imaginary stability.

“I call him Bob the Builder,” Tippett’s wife, Wendy, said. “He likes to build teams, motorcycles, houses. He likes to build things. That was the challenge.”

But the mess Tippett overlooked when he signed on is finally an obstacle he has to reconcile.

His contract is up July 1, and without an ownership group in place to lock down the team in the Valley and offer the monetary resources the team needs to add — and keep — players, Tippett remains undecided on his future.

“I took a leap of faith before,” he said. “There’s no reason why I wouldn’t do it again.”

Unemployed that summer after the Dallas Stars fired him, Tippett fielded interest from other teams, but nothing intrigued him until the offer from the Coyotes.

“I looked at a team that was a little bit in flux but a team with a lot of upside,” Tippett said. “I still believe that with this team.”

Again, alternatives exist this time around.

Vancouver. Dallas. The New York Rangers.

Even some fully staffed teams are expected to inquire should Tippett become available.

Top tandem

The Coyotes have helped their cause by locking up Maloney into a long-term contract because Maloney is responsible for negotiating with Tippett. The two have discussed the details of a new deal, but it won’t be considered until there’s more ownership clarity.

“It’s a bit like a player in the last year of his contract,” Tippett said. “There’s times you’d probably like to sign, but you’re not sure if you’re going to sign. That’s kind of where it is right now.”

Tippett hasn’t decided whether he’d take a one-year contract if it becomes clear the Coyotes will last in Glendale for at least that time. And yet, the Coyotes are his top choice.

“I haven’t thought about moving yet,” he said. “… If Phoenix offers me a contract and it looks like we’re going to keep moving in the right direction, then I’ll look at it.”

Despite the restrictions that appear to be in place for a fifth straight summer, Tippett hasn’t soured on the idea of guiding this group, but he craves resolution. And change.

“It’d be great to have an opportunity to take it to the next level,” he said, before offering this understatement: “To get it there, I think you’re going to need ownership at some point.”

Tippett clearly struggled with the loss of Ray Whitney after the 2011-12 season, and he made no secret of the trouble the organization had in finding a replacement for the veteran playmaker. He regularly mentioned the need for impact players when the Coyotes were on the brink of elimination this past season, and his body language certainly suggested frustration with the situation — a fair reaction after four seasons with an obvious competitive disadvantage.

“You’re trying to build a team that can do all the things you want them to do, but to win you have to have that little extra bit of skill,” he said after the season.

To date, Tippett’s marriage to the Coyotes, at one point three wins shy of a Stanley Cup berth, has thrived, and he’s easily ascended into the elite coaching fraternity.

Perhaps part of that is because of his platform, doing more with less, but it’s probably more indicative of his strengths as a leader.

“He really, truly cares, and I think people can sense that,” Wendy said.

Talented Mr. Tippett

The results have been impressive — 50 wins, a Jack Adams Award, a Pacific Division title — but it was the process that was captivating. A roster short on talent and anchored by basic defensive play persevered because every player provided a necessary contribution.

This has always been Tippett’s coaching style, even with a star-studded lineup in Dallas, but it has complemented the Coyotes and their circumstances perfectly.

“You look at what you have and try to squeeze every ounce you can out of everybody and put them in roles they can excel at, and two things happen,” Tippett said. “One, you have the chance to win if they do their jobs right. But the other thing is everybody is a part of it. That’s a big thing, I believe. Everybody has to be a part of the equation.”

That’s why he can’t accept credit for lengthening the Coyotes’ shelf life. The team is always better than the individual players, Tippett believes. It has to be.

“I look at myself as just part of the group that did it,” he said.

But others recognize the impact he’s had in keeping the Coyotes afloat when the NHL could have closed the doors at the first sign of incompetence.

“If we had any less success … I think this team would be somewhere else,” Maloney said.

It would be a shame if the off-ice drama finally chases the man who was brave enough to tackle it and, at times, conquer it. The journey actually has been quite enjoyable for Tippett, from the subdued, contemplative moments at home with Wendy after losses to the hours he spends mowing his lawn in the summers dreaming up power-play strategies.

“I think he’s had more fun coaching the last four years probably than any other time that I’ve seen him,” Wendy said.

If this relationship ends, that isn’t a bad legacy to leave behind.

“I’m still the grumpy optimist that I think it’ll work out,” Tippett said. “The sooner the better, probably, but nothing I can do about it.”

Posting a comment to our website allows you to join in on the conversation. Share your story and unique perspective with members of the azcentral.com community.

Comments posted via facebook:

► Join the Discussion

azcentral.com has switched to the Facebook comment system on its blogs. Existing blog comments will display, but new comments will only be accepted via the Facebook comment system. To begin commenting, you must be logged into an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. While we welcome you to join conversations, readers are responsible for their comments and abuse of this privilege will not be tolerated. We reserve the right, without warning or notification, to remove comments and block users judged to violate our Terms of Service and Rules of Engagement. Facebook comments FAQ

Join thousands of azcentral.com fans on Facebook and get the day's most popular and talked-about Valley news, sports, entertainment and more - right in your newsfeed. You'll see what others are saying about the hot topics of the day.